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Press Release - 13th March 2002
Dramatic Improvements in Edendale Hospital
The number of red bags (containing infectious medical
waste) generated at Edendale Hospital daily has dropped from an average
of between 250 to 300 to around 70 bags a day. This has resulted
in a cost saving for the hospital of between R35 000 and R40 000 a month.
This is a significant cost saving for this government hospital.
This is one example of the dramatic improvements in
medical waste management at Edendale hospital since the medical waste
skills-share that was conducted at the hospital in August last year by
local NGO groundWork and the international NGO Health Care Without
Harm.
The aim of the skills-share was to help selected hospitals
to better manage their waste, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated,
saving costs and reducing risks to hospital workers and surrounding communities.
Edendale Hospital was selected because of the scandal in late 2000 when
nurses were found to be flushing medical waste down the toilets.
groundWork hopes that through the support it is continuing to provide
to Edendale Hospital, this Hospital will become a model “green’ hospital
for other hospitals to follow.
Dr L. Ramiah, the Chief Medical Superintendent of Edendale
Hospital is very happy with the visible improvements taking place at the
hospital. “I am very appreciative of the support we have received from
groundWork, and also commend the hospital staff for their enthusiastic
commitment to improving medical waste management in Edendale”, says Dr
Ramiah
“I have returned to Edendale Hospital on numerous occasions
since the skills-share to assess improvements and progress“, says Llewellyn
Leonard of groundWork. “I have visited hospital wards and
found that domestic/general waste is now only going into the clear bags
allocated for this purpose. This was a change from during the skills-share
when we found that the special red bags (for infectious medical waste)
often contained mostly general waste. During the skills-share we
explained that if the number of red bags could be reduced the costs at
the institution could be reduced significantly considering that red bags
are the most expensive to purchase and dispose of. Currently, the
red bag waste is collected by Compass Waste Services who incinerate the
waste at an incinerator in Ixopo.
Besides the reduction in red bag waste, there have
been other improvements in waste management at the hospital.
The hospital has started constructing a new building
which will be used as a secure storage area for storing red bags and sharps
containers awaiting collection by Compass Waste. Previously,
the medical waste had not been stored in a secured area, and there had
been problems with people from the adjacent community raiding the red
bags for sharps buckets and re-useable needles. While the new storage
facility is being completed, the gate entrance to the current storage
area will now always be kept under lock and key.
The hospital has also started collecting all cardboard
waste for recycling.
The Hospital’s Chief Pharmacist, has also started disposing
of used vials in red bags so that they are no longer taken to the general
landfill sites, where children sometimes play.
“When I reflect on Edendale Hospital, I always remember
the past scandal of nurses flushing medical waste down toilets.
However, now my overall impression about its commitments to better manage
its waste is encouraging. If we can succeed in implementing an effective
waste-reduction program at Edendale Hospital, we can do it anywhere else
in the country, and I am certain that it will become a model for other
institutions to follow. It will not be an instantaneous achievement, but
it will require time and patience, and in the end Edendale Hospitals as
well as other institutions will reap the fruits of their hard labour”,
says Mr Leonard.
groundWork’s assistance to Edendale Hospital
is part of groundWork’s Medical Waste and Incineration Project.
For more information please contact Llewellyn Leonard on 033-342 5662
or email: llewellyn@groundwork.org.za
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